Application of a laparoscopic spieker of own design in reposition and fixation of the left displacement of the abomasum (LDA) in cattle.

The first case of the left displacement of the abomasum was described in 1950 by Begg. Since then, the LDA has been diagnosed worldwide. It has been shown that there is a correlation between its increased occurrence and an increase in the intensity of cattle dairy production. The treatment methods include surgical ones, which are aimed at two objectives: reposition and fixation of the abomasum to the abdominal wall. The methods using the classic laparotomy include median abomasopexy, right-sided omentopexy and left-sided abomasopexy. A second group of surgical methods consists of procedures that are minimally invasive. These include percutaneous fixation, which requires positioning the patient on the back, and laparoscopic procedures performed by Janowicz and modified by Christiansen and later on by Newman. Recently, laparoscopic methods have become increasingly accessible and popular. The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of laparoscopic treatment of the LDA, using equipment of the authors’ own design. The study involved the observation of 10 cows (aged between 24 and 90 months) treated surgically not later than 24 hours after the diagnosis. These animals were operated on with modified instruments. The modification presented here consisted in making a tube equipped with a trocar lock, which made it possible to reposition the abomasum non-traumatically and to fix it at the bottom of the abdomen. Signs of normal behaviour were observed, and all animals were eating and ruminating within 3-6 hours after surgery. The modification of the spieker proposed by the authors shortens laparoscopy and makes it safer by eliminating iatrogenic complications, such as accidental perforation of the bowels or diaphragm by the trocar edge..